Dixon Living - Summer 2023

show of A

faith

He grew up in Dixon, worked in radio and film, was a president — and it’s not who you think it is

page 22

PHOTO:ALEXT .

A couple walked into a bar and walked out with an idea to open one of their own

Who else wants some?! The folks who stop by Deebo’s in Dixon, that’s who

As a Muslim growing up in Dixon, Nour Alsramah found that the things that make us different can make a difference, and that helped her turn life experiences into learning experiences, for her classmates and her community

Publisher/Ad

The man in the Moon

He grew up in Dixon, went to Eureka College, worked at a radio station, played in Hollywood movies, and was elected president on more than one occasion — and it’s not who you think it is.

4

Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Dixon Living may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

As a Muslim growing up in Dixon, Nour Alsramah found that the things that make us different can make a difference, and that helped her turn life experiences into learning experiences, helping her classmates, and her community, grow.

The spirits moved them

A couple walked in to a pub for a few drinks and walked out with an idea to open their own bar, and just a week later that idea was on its way to becoming a bar and grill where the welcome mat is always out for House guests.

32 Who else wants some?!

The people who stop by Deebo’s in Dixon do, that’s who, and they’re finding a lot to like at the neighborhood food truck. .

River City Ale House owners Jennifer Magnafici and Justin Humphrey have a lot on their plate — Jennifer also runs a day care and Humphrey works as a lineman — but they’re never too busy to find time to pay a House call on their customers: “It’s refreshing to come here from our day jobs because we get to interact with the public,” Magnafici said.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

day care owner and lineman walk into a bar … Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Actually, it’s the start of a business plan — no kidding.

Jennifer Magnafici, who also runs The Early Years Academy day care in Morrison, and Justin Humphrey, a lineman with the electricians union out of Rockford, recently took a short trip from bar hoppers to bar owners after a visit to an area pub inspired them to open up a place of their own back home: River City Ale House.

How short of a trip was it? About a week. The Dixon couple, who enjoys visiting restaurants and bars throughout the Midwest, were at Pub 225, a martini bar in Milledgeville, when the idea hit.

“Honestly, this was something we never really aspired to own, it was totally an on-a-whim, impulse decision,” Magnafici said. “We went out one time and were up in Milledgeville and saw this cute little place [Pub 225]. We went out on a Saturday night, talked about it on Sunday, this place came for lease on Monday, and by Tuesday we had decided that we were going to do this. No previous thought, no previous anything.”

RIVER CITY cont’d to page 6

The genesis was speedy, but River City Alehouse has already become a busy place since opening last October, owing in large part to the couple’s vision for the business: offering distinctively different, and delicious, dishes and drinks.

The drink menu includes domestic and regional craft beers, 10 different martinis, a few wine selections, Moscow mules in fruity flavors, and a handful of both signature and seasonal cocktails. Holiday-themed cocktails are also available, such as for the Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Some of the seasonal cocktails available in the spring and summer include a Drunken Mermaid with Tito’s, blue curaçao, simple syrup, lime juice and watermelon seltzer; and a lavender lemonade of limoncello, lavender syrup, creme de violet and lemon juice.

There’s even something a little fishy on the menu: a Fish Bowl cocktail, with Tito’s rum, peach schnapps, blue UV, Sprite, Nerds and Swedish fish, served in a bowllike glass.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM Michael Robillord serves customers at River City Ale House’s outdoor seating area.

RIVER CITY cont’d from page 5

RIVER CITY cont’d to page 7

RIVER CITY cont’d from page 6

“It’s crazy, the things that we’ve brought in here,” Magnafici said. “It’s one of those drinks that gets better the more you drink it, and the Nerds kind of infuse into the rest of it. It’s a doozy.”

If it’s a bite to eat you’re looking for, River City Alehouse’s food is as distinctive as its drinks.

For breakfast, served 8 a.m. to noon on the weekends, sandwiches, bowls and omelets highlight the menu, along with jumbo muffins of French toast strudel and blueberry lemon. Want pulled pork for breakfast? That’s not often found at most other restaurants, but it’s here as part of one of the bowls. Burgers, wings, salads, chicken sandwiches and a big pork tenderloin round out the lunch and dinner menu.

River City Alehouse beefs up its burger menu, too, with more than just your basics on a bun — and sometimes they’re not even on a bun. How about the Doughnut Mention It: a patty between two glazed donuts, with raspberry jam and candied bacon; a Cheesy Street Corn Burger with elote corn dip and a patty smothered in jalapeño sauce; or a peanut butter and jelly burger with cookie butter, jam, bacon and cheddar cheese. The burgers are a blend of ground chuck, brisket and short-rub black Angus beef.

RIVER CITY cont’d to page 8

With so much on his daughter’s plate already, Jennifer’s dad, Keith Miller, was worried at first when she told him she and Justin were going to open a bar, but once they hit the ground running — “We both go at about 150 miles per hour,” Magnafici said — he was their biggest fan. “We opened in October and he unexpectedly passed away Christmas morning. I’m so glad that it worked out the way that it did, because he was able to come in and really see it full circle. He just loved this place, and I’m so thankful.”.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Peanut butter and jelly old-fashioned

Flip Flop Summer

Other sandwiches include a Bigger Than Texas grilled cheese with a huge hunk of melted cheese, bacon and blistered tomatoes between two slices of Texas toast; a veggie wrap; and chicken and waffles, topped with hot honey sauce. They even have a favorite from north of the border in poutine, so there’s no need to travel to Canada just for the fries, beef gravy and cheese curd dish. And no need to visit Bavaria for a huge pretzel, River City Alehouse has that as well — a foot of thick pretzel dough twisted into shape and served with beer cheese and mustard. Have enough room for dessert? You can top off a meal with fried pearl sugar waffle a la mode, chocolate lava cake, and cheesecake made by the CheeseKake Ko. of Rochelle. The cheesecake has been a big seller, Magnafici said. CheeseKake Ko. is run by a pair of sisters from Rochelle, one of whom used to work with Magnafici at her day care.

That’s a pretty impressive menu, especially considering that food wasn’t even part of the couple’s original plan: Magnafici and Humphrey had originally just wanted to have a martini bar, but they heard there was a demand for a place with unique eats.

Pulled pork breakfast bowl

“The more we researched the market and talked to people within the community, and everywhere I heard, ‘Dixon needs something different,’” Magnafici said. “We decided, you know what, we have to go with that. We tried to focus on something different, so we took ordinary items and put kind of a different twist on it. Our menu kind of reflects that, the base of the pyramid is a traditional concept, but everything has a different twist to it.”

Juggling a business along with their other jobs keeps the couple plenty busy, so it’s a good thing Magnafici and Humphrey are built for speed.

“We both go at about 150 miles per hour,” Magnafici said — but it took a little convincing for some people to get behind their juggling act. Adding a business to their already busy lives was a concern at first for her father, Keith Miller. However, she convinced him that it was all going to work out, and he soon became one of River City’s regulars.

River City Ale House serves gourmet cheesecakes from the CheeseKake Ko. of Rochelle.

From his usual seat at the bar, Miller was able to see his daughter and her boyfriend turn their whim into a successful business before he suddenly passed away on Christmas morning. Photos of Miller can be found in the restaurant, a way to keep his memory alive,

RIVER CITY cont’d to page 9

The Fish bowl

Birthday cake martini

Ribeye sandwich

Cinnamon roll french toast

Pretzel with beer cheese and mustard

“When we started this project, I called my dad and told him that I was going to start a bar,” she said, and he thought she might be taking on too much. “We opened in October and he unexpectedly passed away Christmas morning. I’m so glad that it worked out the way that it did, because he was able to come in and really see it full circle. He just loved this place, and I’m so thankful.”

The couple enjoys being able to mingle with their customers, and they’ve been able to not only spend time with old friends who stop by but make some new ones, too — some who are new to The Petunia City. With its strong tourism base, and being off of an interstate, Dixon has proven to be a good spot for people wanting to enjoy the local flavors of the community, Magnafici said, and they’ve met people who’ve just been passing by and stopped in, and others who’ve made their bar a destination during their day trip.

“It’s refreshing to come here from our day jobs because we get to interact with the public,” Magnafici said. “One of my favorite things is when someone comes through

town and they aren’t from Dixon, I’m like, ‘How did you find this place?’ It’s nice to hear that people are traveling through town, and they’re using their Google Map to navigate our city.”

Humphrey feels the same way too, and enjoys being able to see the design work at River City Ale House that he and some of his friends did put to good use.

“I enjoy the fact that people enjoy it,” he said. “The feedback from the community –‘It’s a great place to eat,’ ‘I love going there,’ ‘It’s nice, it’s classy’ — It was something for the community, and there was a need for a different kind of menu as far as breakfast and lunch.”

The food and drink menu will rotate once more come fall, which the couple hopes will give people another reason to return.

“Traditionally when you go to a bar, they don’t have the time to do this stuff, they just don’t,” Magnafici said. “That was kind of our vision: We wanted to have something different all the way around, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.” n

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Online: rivercityalehouseil.com and on Facebook Contact: 815-284-0381

314 W. First St.

Editor’s note: The following article was written by Dixon resident Tom Wadsworth, a writer, speaker, and a sixth-generation Dixonite. His background includes careers in ministry, broadcasting, corporate communications, and 20 years as the editor of a national trade magazine. He holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in New Testament.

Millions are aware of the story of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the Dixon boy known as “Dutch,” who became president of the United States. Very few, however, are aware of the story of Neil “Moon” Reagan, President Reagan’s only sibling and brother. Yet even fewer are aware of how Dutch helped Moon to go to college and launch a remarkably successful career in California.

First, it must be noted that Neil was older than Ronald. Neil was born September 16, 1908, while Ronald was born February 6, 1911, 2-1/2 years later. But the rapid early rise of Ronald’s career resulted in Neil often being viewed as the younger brother.

As Neil put it in a 1981 interview, “I guess I’ve really never gotten over it completely. I automatically became the younger brother.”

MOON cont’d to page 12

Neil and Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon

Neil Reagan, brother of President Ronald Reagan

MOON cont’d from page 10

Neil’s “younger brother” image started as early as 1929. When he graduated from South Dixon High School in 1926, he landed a decent office job working at the Medusa Portland Cement plant in Dixon.

“When I graduated from high school, I was smarter than any college professor,” said Neil, “so I saw no need for college.”

At that time, only 30 percent of students finished high school, and a tiny fraction of these went on to graduate from college. So, in 1928 when little brother Ronald (“Dutch”) went off to Eureka College, Neil was content to stay in Dixon doing “cost work” at the cement plant.

Dutch, however, persisted in urging Neil to join him in Eureka and get a college education. But Neil just laughed. After all, he was getting paid $125 a month, which was better than a manual laborer’s wage at the plant.

In the summer of 1929 before the beginning of Ron’s sophomore year, Ron made a significant effort to pave the way for Neil to go to college. He arranged a scholarship for Neil to play on the Eureka football team that fall. He secured a job for Neil to serve food at the girls’ dormitory. He also arranged for Neil to pledge to Ron’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. All Neil needed

was to raise $10 a month to pay for his room at the frat house.

Dutch went one step further. In September, just before leaving for college, Ron had saved enough money to buy Neil a steamer trunk to facilitate his move to Eureka. But again, Neil just laughed.

He recalled: “When the day came that (Ron) was to go back to school that fall, I got up and went to work (at the cement plant). When I came home that evening, I dashed upstairs and there sat the trunk in the middle of the floor.”

When he went downstairs for supper, he said to his mother, “Nelle, I thought Dutch was going back to school today.”

“With a tear in her eye she said, ‘He did, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself. He left the trunk, thinking you’d change your mind.’” The hardened big brother just laughed again.

The next morning Neil went back to work at the cement plant. Before he went to his desk he told his boss, Mr. Kennedy, the “very funny story” about Ron’s scheming and the steamer trunk. But Mr. Kennedy didn’t laugh.

About ten o’clock that morning, the boss’s secretary came to Neil and said, “Here’s your paycheck, Mr. Reagan.”

Neil replied, “Paycheck? It’s not payday.”

She said, “It is for you.”

Stunned, he asked, “Do you mean I’m fired?”

“Call it what you want to,” she said. “Mr. Kennedy says if you’re not smart enough to take the good thing your brother has fixed up for you, you’re not smart enough to work for him.”

MOON cont’d to page 13

So, Neil left the cement plant office and walked the long stretch along River Road, heading back into Dixon. It was one of those life-changing walks when you realize you’re at a critical fork in life’s road. He was 21, unemployed, and holding his last paycheck in his hands. So, he stopped at the bank to cash the check, went home, packed the steamer trunk, and then headed south for Eureka.

His mother Nelle called Ron on the phone. “I’ve got news for you,” Nelle said.

“Your brother Neil doesn’t think college is a joke anymore. He doesn’t want to work; he wants to be educated. He wants to come to Eureka.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Ron, who had always viewed Neil as a “sophisticate.” But he was pleased that Neil was going to join him in college.

When Neil walked onto the Eureka campus, the reality set in. He was just a freshman, while his little brother was a wellknown sophomore involved in sports, drama, the fraternity, and campus activities.

In essence, the big brother had become the little brother. And no matter how much Neil succeeded, he would remain the “little brother” in Ronald’s shadow for the rest of his life.

Neil was elected the president of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity while attending Eureka College. He also served as the editor of the yearbook, and he was on the school’s cheerleading squad with brother Ron. FACEBOOK.COM/TAU.KAPPA.EPSILON.FRATERNITY

Moon entered Eureka College in September 1929. Only one month later, the Great Depression descended on America, triggered by the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. Over 1,300 banks failed in the next year, and millions of Americans lost their jobs. But thanks to Ron’s arrangements for Moon’s scholarship, dorm job, and frat housing, Moon was relatively insulated from the collapsing economy around him.

MOON cont’d to page 14

Neil Reagan ... through the years

Three years later in the spring of 1932, Moon was thriving at Eureka College. That March, an article appeared in the Dixon Telegraph titled, “Neil and Ronald Reagan Make Good.” Neil was “very popular on campus” and had been elected the president of the TKE fraternity and president of the Campus Council on Religion. He also served as the editor of the yearbook, and he was on the school’s cheerleading squad with brother Ron.

Dutch, a graduating senior in 1928, had received four letters in football, was a student instructor in swimming, president of the Booster Club, and president of the Senate, the student governing body. In Neil’s senior year, he would follow his brother as president of the student governing body.

In January 1933, Dutch landed a job as a full-time staff announcer at WOC radio in Davenport. It paid $100 a month, which was good money during the Depression. But brother Neil was struggling financially to get through his final year of college, and that fact weighed heavily on Ron.

Nelle had always told Ronald that “the Lord’s share was a tenth.” So, Ron consulted with a local minister, asking, “Would the Lord consider His share as being His, if I gave it to my

brother to help him through school?” The minister said yes. So, Dutch gave ten dollars a month to Moon, which was just enough to help Moon finish his last year of college.

Ron’s support of Neil continued into the next critical phase of Neil’s life. In 1933, Neil graduated from Eureka College with a degree in economics and sociology, the same degree that Ron earned the year before. But by 1933, the Depression was at its worst. One-fourth of the U.S. workforce was unemployed, and household incomes had plummeted over the previous four years. Back home in Dixon, the cement plant had closed its doors, putting hundreds out of work.

Neil planned to go to law school at Northwestern University in the fall, a strategy that would keep him in the insulated environment of academia. But in the summer of 1933, Ronald called him and asked him to drive Ron’s new Nash convertible from the dealership in central Illinois to Des Moines.

Ron also urged Moon to stay for two or three days and see the 50,000-watt radio station (WHO) where Ron now worked. Neil had never been in a radio station, so he accepted and made the journey to Des Moines. He didn’t realize that the trip would change his life in several ways.

MOON cont’d to page 15

As Ron was showing Neil around the station, they walked by the booth where potential sports announcers were auditioning. When audition number 12 finished, Ron presented Neil to the program director, saying “This is my brother, Moon.”

The manager then suggested that Moon give it a try. Dutch said, “Sure, why not?”

Neil was then asked to read the script for a commercial and describe three or four plays of an imaginary live Big Ten college football game. Since he was a big sports fan and knew all the players, he had no problem delivering this make-believe play-by-play broadcast.

The program director liked what he heard, and he offered Neil a job on the spot. “What does it pay?” asked Neil. The station could pay thirty dollars a week, which was about the same as his salary at the cement plant four years ago.

Ron interjected, “Look, don’t worry about it now. You can live in my apartment; that won’t cost you anything. We’ll get by.”

Neil replied, “OK, I’ll forget about the idea of law school.”

YOUR

GRASSHOPPER

So, Neil followed his little brother’s footsteps, not just to Eureka College, but now into broadcasting, at a time when radios were becoming a staple of the American home.

Neil and Ronald were not only living together and doing sports at the same station, but they also had a show together on Friday nights during the football season. On the show, the two of them would reveal their picks for the winners of the upcoming games, debate each other’s picks, and laugh over who was wrong last Friday night.

In Des Moines, Neil found his future wife, Bessie Hoffman, and they were married in 1935. But by then Neil had been transferred to WHO’s sister station in Davenport (WOC), while Ron stayed in Des Moines at WHO.

In 1937, Ron got his next big break when he landed a movie contract with Warner Brothers in Hollywood. Only three months after he moved to California, Ron moved his parents, Jack and Nelle Reagan, to Hollywood from Dixon. This meant that Neil and Bessie were the only family members back in Illinois-Iowa.

SERVICE DESTINATION.

Grasshopper zero-turn mowersare built to last, but when service is needed, we can help. With a full lineof repair and tune-up services, OEM parts and more, we’re standing by to help keep your mower in peak condition. ©

MOON cont’d to page 16

Like his brother Ron, Neil found work in broadcasting.

Neil Reagan ... through the years

After a few years of announcing sports and news at WOC in Davenport, Neil was soon promoted to program director. But in the summer of 1939 Neil went to Hollywood to visit his movie-star brother and fiancée, Jane Wyman. The visit included a tour through the Warner Brothers studios, learning about film contracts and film production.

It may have been during this visit when Dutch again arranged an audition for his big brother. Only a few months later, in January 1940, newspapers in Iowa and Illinois announced that Neil was leaving WOC and moving to Hollywood on February 1 to become a movie actor. There, he lived only a half-mile from Ron and his new wife, Jane Wyman (married in January 1940).

Neil’s acting career required some preparation. On July 11, 1940, the Quad City Times newspaper reported, “For several months (Neil) was placed on a rigid diet by movie officials, who ordered him to lose 20 pounds. During this time, he went to the movie school, learning the tricks of the screen.”

Moon’s first movie role was a bit part in the 1940 film “Tugboat Annie Sails Again.” His name doesn’t even appear on the promotional movie posters. But two other movie stars appear prominently on the poster: Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. Once again, little brother Ron led big brother Neil into a successful venture.

But Neil’s success did not come as an actor; it came in the greater field of entertainment and media. Even though he would appear in five movies, all were minor roles. So, to make ends meet, Neil landed a job in November 1940 as the featured newscaster and sportscaster at KFWB radio in Hollywood.

KFWB also had a connection to brother Ron. The radio station was owned by Ronald’s employer, Warner Brothers, which also owned the “Tugboat Annie” movie. And KFWB’s station was on the Warner Brothers lot, where Ronald Reagan filmed many of his movies.

MOON cont’d to page 17

Neil managed to grab some ink in the press during his brief stint on the big screen.

Neil Reagan ... through the years

Neil remained a top announcer at KFWB until 1944 when he joined CBS as a senior director in Hollywood. He used all his acting and radio experience to become known as an expert director and producer of 30-minute weekly radio shows. After being at CBS for only 11 months, he was hired in 1945 at McCann-Erickson, one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, where he continued to produce radio shows and become a renowned expert in media and advertising.

In 1951 Neil was elected president of the Hollywood Advertising Club, and later that same year, he was elected president of Advertising Association of the West. This role took him on speaking engagements all over the West Coast. In 1952, representing the advertising industry, he met with California Governor Earl Warren and even went to the White House.

MOON cont’d to page 11

Neil made the switch from a successful career in radio to one in advertising in 1945 when he was hired by ad agency McCann-Erickson, where he was later promoted to vice president. In 1951, Neil was elected president of the Advertising Association of the West.

Neil Reagan ... through the years

Then, in 1960, he was elected president of the Los Angeles Advertising Club, a prestigious position in LA society and the greater advertising world.

Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, he and Bessie stayed in constant contact with brother Ron, who lived in the same general area. The two Reagan families would usually spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with each other, even after Ron became governor of California (1967-1975).

Ron did Neil another huge favor in 1964 when Reagan was getting involved in Barry Goldwater’s campaign for president. Dutch noticed that Goldwater’s TV commercials were lacking, and he urged the Republican presidential candidate to contact brother Neil at McCann-Erickson.

Goldwater did. Neil made sure that the agency switch was conducted ethically and according to protocol, and McCann-Erickson ended up landing the huge Goldwater account.

But Goldwater’s campaign was already in serious trouble. The 1963 Kennedy assassination had unleashed a flood of compassion for the Democratic party. Plus, Goldwater made several major gaffes during the campaign, and no amount of savvy advertising could turn the tide in his favor.

Ironically, the one tactic that injected significant new life into Goldwater’s campaign was Ronald Reagan’s famous speech, “A Time for Choosing,” which was broadcast nationally Oct. 26, 1964, just eight days before the election. One source says that it was Neil who convinced Goldwater to ask Reagan to deliver this speech.

Reagan’s speech electrified the audience and attracted national attention. But it was all too little, too late for Goldwater. He carried only six states and lost by a landslide. The Oct. 26 speech, however, turned the Republican spotlight on Ronald Reagan as a rising star in the party.

Handling Goldwater’s advertising was a significant business deal for Neil Reagan and McCann-Erickson. More importantly, it gave Neil and his agency rich experience in handling media for a major political campaign. And they would soon be able to build on all this experience for an upcoming significant gubernatorial campaign … for Ronald Reagan.

That same year (1964), an opportunity arose for Neil to help Ron at a crucial juncture in his life. As part of Neil’s duties with McCann-Erickson, he was in charge of the “Death Valley Days” TV show, which was looking for a new on-air spokesman and star.

MOON cont’d to page 19

MOON

from page 18

At the time, Ron’s TV and movie career was at a standstill. In 1962, he just ended 10 years as the spokesman and star of CBS’s weekly “General Electric Theatre,” and he was without a paying job.

Neil, knowing Ron’s acute skills as a spokesman, offered the Death Valley Days’ job to Ron. At first, Dutch declined the offer, but Neil knew how to get Ron’s attention. Neil went to Ron’s agent and pitched the idea. The agent, who was highly motivated to get Ron to say yes, used his best persuasion skills with Ron at a luncheon meeting at Hollywood’s famous Brown Derby restaurant.

Moon happened to be at the same restaurant at the same time. After Ron realized the wisdom of the deal, he came over to Neil and sheepishly accepted the job offer.

Neil was there to help his brother when he ran for governor of California in 1966, and again in 1980, when Ronald ran for president.

The “Death Valley Days” job was more than just another TV gig. It helped Ron maintain a high public profile at a time when more people were urging him to run for governor of California. Ron kept the TV job until 1966, when he finally entered the governor’s race.

Neil again became helpful to his brother during the campaign, which many thought was an uphill battle. After all, Ronald Reagan was a political neophyte who had never run for public office. It didn’t help that he had recently switched parties.

On top of that, he was opposing the incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Brown. In the gubernatorial race of 1962, Brown defeated former vice president Richard Nixon, and Brown was strongly considered as a vice presidential running mate for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

MOON cont’d to page 20 & 21

Neil Reagan ... through the years

According to Neil’s obituary in the New York Times, Neil picked up his nickname on the high school football team, derived from the Moon Mullins comic strip character. His brother’s nickname, according to President Reagan’s autobiography, came from his father, who remarked during Ron’s childhood that he that he looked like “a fat little Dutchman.” Reagan himself has also stated that the nickname was reinforced by another remark his father made, about the “Dutch boy” haircut his son had as a young child.

Above: Neil and Ron, during Reagan’s time in Hollywood during the 1940s. Center top: Ron and Neil during Reagan’s first inauguration, in 1981. Center bottom: A 1980s newspaper profile on Neil. Right: Neil joined his brother and wife Nancy for a visit to their boyhood home in Dixon in 1984.

WHITE HOUSE PRESS PHOTO

WHITE HOUSE PRESS PHOTO

Brown scoffed at Reagan’s inexperience, calling him a superficial Hollywood actor who starred in the “Bedtime for Bonzo” movie. Reagan’s team was challenged to build a campaign that would overcome this onslaught of ridicule from a popular incumbent.

Enter big brother Neil Reagan. Armed with 30 years of radio, media, and advertising experience, Moon proceeded to mastermind the media for Ron’s 1966 campaign. It was a great way for Neil to use his own prowess to return the enormous career favors that Ron had done for him.

It worked … in a big way. Ronald Reagan defeated Pat Brown by a landslide, winning 56 of the state’s 59 counties.

But Neil contended that the campaign’s magic was all due to Ronald — his winning personality, his photographic memory for details, and his world-class communication skills. Neil’s strategy was to avoid gimmickry and just get Ronald to talk directly to people and to the camera. Knowing Ronald’s audience appeal at “General Electric Theatre” and “Death Valley Days,” Neil was confident that his little brother could win hearts and minds by the direct approach.

Neil and McCann-Erickson again returned in 1970 to handle advertising for Reagan’s reelection campaign. Even though California was becoming a popular haven for leftist radicals, the conservative Governor Reagan won handily again, winning 47 of California’s 59 counties.

In December 1970, immediately after Reagan was reelected as governor, Dutch and Moon returned for a visit to their home state of Illinois. Eureka College, their alma mater, asked them to dedicate the new Reagan Physical Education Center, named for the school’s two renowned alumni.

In bestowing the honor on the two brothers, the school said, “They have maintained high standards of character and ethics in their dealings with both friends and opponents. They hold in high regard their heritage, family, and college and have acknowledged their deep appreciation of these values.”

Indeed, from Dixon to Eureka, from Eureka to Iowa, and from Iowa to California, these two brothers maintained great integrity and demonstrated the strength of family values in their pursuit of excellence.

Moon retired in 1973 and was able to enjoy Dutch’s greatest success, being elected — and reelected — president of the United States in 1980 and 1984. You might think that Reagan would use the power of the office to grant a plum political office to his brother or to his children. But

Neil’s death in 1996 made headlines in papers around the nation, including the San Bernardino County Sun (above), and the New York Times, which described Reagan as a “spirited, easy-going man with a whimsical sense of humor.”

Ronald Reagan opposed nepotism, desiring to keep the office free of corruption.

Moon had no problem with that. He once said, “Just being the president’s brother shouldn’t give you any advantage.”

As Ronald gained great stature around the world as “the Great Communicator,” it was clear that he had become “the big brother.” Neil was still a highly accomplished and admired professional, and Ron was still the younger of the two. But Ron’s star was shining globally in a way that few have ever achieved.

Moon’s health began to fail in 1996. But through his final days of trial, Ron was in constant contact with his older brother, his companion and friend. Neil finally died on December 11, 1996, at age 88 in San Diego.

Announcing the death of his older brother, the former president simply said, “We will miss him terribly.” n

Source: Information for this story was gleaned from interviews, documents, books, and over 300 newspaper articles published between 1932 and 2010.

Neil Reagan ... through the years

As a Muslim growing up in Dixon, Nour Alsramah found that the things that make us different can make a difference, and that helped her turn life experiences into learning experiences, not only for her classmates, but her community

PHOTO :ALEXT

hen some people ask Nour Alsramah questions — like ‘Why don’t you eat pork?’ or ‘Why do you dress the way you do?’ — it would be easy to just say, “Because I’m Muslim” and move on.

But Nour decided she didn’t want to take the easy way out.

The 18-year-old Dixon High School graduate has some interesting stories to tell about her faith and her culture, and she decided to turn those stories into teachable moments that have made an impact on her classmates and community, something she takes pride in as she gets ready to embark on the next chapter of her life.

By Cody Cutter Sauk

As a Muslim, her childhood was rich in faith, and while some of the tenets of that faith, like fasting for Ramaḍān and her manner of dress, piqued people’s curiosity — mostly in a good way — she’s also met with criticism from those who didn’t want to understand those differences.

In recent years, though, Nour has taken the initiative to educate those around her about her faith. Through class presentations, she’s seen many people come to appreciate and respect her and her fellow Muslims’ ways of life.

“It’s really nice getting the feedback because you feel like you’re doing something for your community,” Nour said. “Maybe when they come across another Muslim, they won’t have to ask, they’ll just know; and it can be a real interesting experience.”

Nour is the only child of Ghada Tibeh and the late Moustafa Alsramah, who came to the United States from Jordan in 2003. When she was younger, she tended not to confront misunderstandings head on, but as she’s grown older, Nour has come to enjoy sharing her experiences and her culture, and not just answering people’s questions with “because I’m Muslim.”

NOUR cont’d to page 25

Valley Media

NOUR cont’d from page 24

She’s also come to appreciate her time in Dixon.

“I really liked my childhood in Dixon, there weren’t too many negatives to it,” Nour said. “I really feel like it’s a good community, especially a Muslim community. As I got older, I learned to accept who I am, and, if anything, it’s okay to be different. It can be useful in a small community like this.”

In a post-9/11 society, where some Americans’ views of Islam have shifted and not for the better — Nour decided to do her part to help people understand her way of life.

“I got a little sick of dealing with people not knowing who I am, what my religion is, and where we’re from,” Nour said. “That inspired me to tell people every time I meet someone who asks me, for example, why I don’t eat pork, I want to tell them this is why.”

NOUR cont’d to page 26

Nour Alsramah returns a shot during a tennis match this past fall while playing for the Dixon High School tennis team. She played tennis for the school for 3 years.

ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEY.COM

She’s also found that change can come from all sorts of places — even a pizza.

On some occasions, learning about different cultures, such as Islam, occurs by happenstance. When she was taking part in Whiteside Area Career Center’s Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program, a speaker treated the class to breakfast pizza, with sausage, ham or bacon toppings. That was a no-go for Nour and her faith, and that situation became an epiphany of sorts for CEO teacher Emily Zimmerman.

It was an odd situation to be in: The rest of the class enjoying their pizza, while Nour felt left out. Zimmerman noticed and sought to make sure that didn’t happen again.

“The kids love when people bring them breakfast in the morning. I didn’t know enough about Nour’s religion to understand that Muslims don’t eat pork,” Zimmerman said. “I didn’t do my due diligence to explain that to the speaker, and I knew that breakfast was coming, so I kind of felt like I had failed her.”

After that, if pizza was going to be served to the class, there was going to be a vegetarian option.

Then came Ramaḍān, the most sacred of the months of the Islam’s lunar-based calendar. The observance began on March 22, with the sighting of a

crescent moon that marks the month’s beginning after the month of Shaʿbān, and ended with Eid al-Fitr on April 21, with the beginning of Shawwāl. Fasting is part of the month’s teaching of spiritual reflection, self-improvement and devotion to Allah through self-discipline, empathy, and spiritual awareness.

Pizza, both meat and veggie choices, was again served to the students during a morning CEO class presentation — but this time it was during Ramaḍān, and Nour once again couldn’t have any. Upon learning about the special meaning of the month, Zimmerman once again felt bad about the situation.

“Still, I thought I understood, but I didn’t know that it was during the middle of Ramaḍān,” Zimmerman said. “That was a big ‘A-ha’ moment” — so Zimmerman decided to turn that moment into a learning opportunity. “I asked her if she could be a speaker, because I want to understand, I think your classmates need to understand, and I’m really messing up.”

Nour liked the idea of sharing her experiences of being Muslim, and on April 11 she gave a presentation to her classmates and the Diversity Inclusion Committee at Sauk Valley Community College, where Zimmerman is an associate professor of business.

NOUR cont’d to page 27

[Nour] had just the most beautiful PowerPoint presentation of her lived experience as a Muslim ... It’s just remarkable with the bravery of having to stand up in front of 40-plus individuals and just tell her story. I was very proud of her.”

Emily

Zimmerman

Teacher, Whiteside Area Career Center

Top: Nour greets Sauk Valley Community College President David Hellmich during a presentation for students in the Whiteside Area Career Center’s Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program, which she participated in during her senior year.

Hellmich was Nour’s mentor for the class.

Nour discussed Islam, personal experiences and her life growing up in Dixon.

Bottom: Nour was this year’s recipient of the CEO program’s Edith Jakobs Education Award. Also

NOUR cont’d from page 26

Nour took the pair of pizza moments in stride, and in doing so, she developed a bond with her instructor.

“It didn’t bother me, but I was just like, ‘I can’t have that,’” Nour said. “Me and Emily got to talking, and we got to learn a lot about each other. She told me that I shouldn’t be afraid of who I am.”

Nour shared information about Islam, her experiences as a Muslim living in Dixon, and moments when she experienced racism and Islamophobia. She ended with a question-and-answer session — and plenty of hands went up.

“I just wanted people to have a good idea of what it really is,” Nour said. “I thought it went pretty well.”

NOUR cont’d to page 28

pictured is award presenter Nik Jakobs of Jakobs Brothers Farms of Sterling.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Zimmerman not only enjoyed it, she also had one word that kept coming to mind during it all: bravery.

“She had just the most beautiful PowerPoint presentation of her lived experience as a Muslim in Dixon, what the Muslim community is like, misconceptions, Islamophobia, comments and remarks about 9/11, and the whole idea of why she was afraid to wear her hijab even though its a huge part of her culture,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just remarkable with the bravery of having to stand up in front of 40-plus individuals and just tell her story. I was very proud of her.”

To make sure she was making her points well in the presentation, Nour tapped into lessons she learned in Scott Porter’s high school sociology class her junior year, when students gave presentations on world religions.

“With the discussion I had with the class there, I felt like I did something good,” Nour said of that earlier experience. “There were people engaged, and there were people talking. Everybody clapped for everyone, but when I walked back to my desk, it felt like they were clapping a little extra for me.”

Her CEO presentation met with a similar reception. One of the students on the Diversity Inclusion Committee later met with Nour at the local mosque, the Sauk Valley Islamic Center.

“I had someone come up to me and ask if I was the girl who came to talk at the college,” Nour said. “He was like, ‘Thank you. You’re doing the community justice.’ I felt so good after

that, that someone would notice that from my own community. I felt, wow, I did something good.”

During her time at Dixon High, Nour also found time to play tennis for three years on the Dixon Duchesses squad and was part of the school’s Coding Club. Her involvement in the computer science-based group enhanced her passion for technology, and it’s one of the reasons she’s decided to further her studies in that field at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

“It’s so diverse over there,” Nour said. “I’m going to learn so much that I didn’t learn before. I met a friend who’s also going there, and she’s Hindu, and I’ve never met someone of the Hindu faith, so I felt that was so cool.”

Nour also got some help from one of the people present for her CEO presentation: Sauk Valley Community College presidents David Hellmich, whom Nour had become intrigued with after a prior presentation he gave. Each student in the CEO program is assigned a mentor to help them in their course experience, and Nour asked that Hellmich be hers. Their partnership has helped Nour navigate her transition to college.

“Being a first-generation college student, applying to schools has been a little difficult for me,” Nour said. “I got to talking to him about it, and he would tell me not to stress about it and that everything would fall into place. He helped me with selecting the right college and helped me through the process.”

NOUR cont’d to page 29

College life will bring Nour to a city larger and even more diverse than Dixon. Time will tell whether she decides to return to her hometown after college, or continue to thrive somewhere else — but regardless of where she continues to grow, she won’t forget her roots, and the friends she’s made along the way, which include customers she’s met while working as a pharmacy tech at Walgreen’s.

“People are definitely very kind here,” Nour said. “I think one of the perks about living in a smaller town like Dixon is that the people here are so kind. Just walking down the street, you’ll have people smile at you, and when you go in the bigger city you notice not many people do that. I feel like I got my manners by being in Dixon and with how I was raised, and I know I can take that with me to a bigger city and I hope I’ll never lose that part of me.” n

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Nour blows a kiss during Dixon High School’s 2023 graduation ceremony. “I think one of the perks about living in a smaller town like Dixon is that the people here are so kind. ... I feel like I got my manners by being in Dixon and with how I was raised, and ... I hope I’ll never lose that part of me.”

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

who some? else wants

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

If you’ve ever stopped at the food truck set up in the Dixon YMCA parking lot, you might be tempted to snap a picture and slap a hashtag on it: #flashbackFriday.

That’s because the guy at the grill bears more than a passing resemblance to one of the actors in the ’90s movie “Friday” — and that’s not all Dixon’s Tommie Wallace has in common with movie and TV actor Tommy Lister Jr.

Sure, there’s their first name, but they share another name, too: Deebo.

Hollywood’s Deebo was a character in 1995’s “Friday,” a comedy film starring Chris Tucker and rapper Ice Cube, and its 2000 sequel “Next Friday.” Dixon’s Deebo is a nickname — Wallace’s — and a namesake: of the food truck he runs with his wife, Carla.

DEEBO’S cont’d to page 32

Tommie and Carla Wallace own Deebo’s, a food truck serving tacos, nachos, meat sandwiches and more. They opened their window for the first time in March, and have attracted plenty of customers from their usual spot across the street from the Dixon Family YMCA. “The community has really been great to us,” Tommie said. “They want us here, and that’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to be here.”

DEEBO’S cont’d from page 31

Deebo’s can most often be found in its usual spot: the north parking lot of the Dixon YMCA, where Wallace and his wife enjoy meeting all the people who pay a visit to their truck to grab a bite to go, or sit at their picnic table to eat and listen to a few tunes piped out of their stereo system.

While Wallace may look like Deebo, he’s nothing like the neighborhood bruiser Lister played. He’d rather give people something to smile about — like good food.

The Wallaces have only had their trailer since mid-March, but in that short time they’ve enjoyed getting to know customers who enjoy what Wallace brings to his menu.

“It was always my dream to open

a food truck,” Tommie said. “I love cooking on my own, and I’ve loved cooking all of my life.”

Tommie is living his dream after spending a few years in restaurant kitchens in Dixon and Sterling. In Dixon, his familiar face could be found at the former Bombdiggity (now Palmyra Pub and Eatery) and up until recently, The Corner Spot, where he was its kitchen manager; and in Sterling, at Smoked on 3rd and The Factory Pub and Grub.

Having mastered many menu items during his culinary career, Tommie brought that experience to Deebo’s menu, putting his own spin on tacos, Italian beef sandwiches, egg rolls, and even French fries.

Wallace manages to take customers on a trip all around the world on his food truck. South of the border, his monster burritos and tacos come with a choice of seasoned ground beef, chicken or steak; the grande nachos offer the same meat choices along with queso, onion, tomato, rice, beans, sour cream and salsa. Heading north of the border, customers can get a taste of Philadelphia with a Philly cheese steak. Heading overseas, the monster pork egg rolls are served with sweet-and-sour sauce and rice; and the Italian beef is done Chicago style: thinly sliced beef, dipped in au jus sauce, topped with giardianera and served on a buttered French roll.

DEEBO’S cont’d to page 33

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Tommie Wallace prepares Italian beef for a sandwich. Do you like yours wet with au jus sauce, or dry? Tommie likes it wet and dipped: "Dipped is the best way; it might be a little messy, but it's worth it. You get all of the flavor at one time; once you bite it, it's there."

DEEBO’S cont’d from page 32

Sides include French fries, cheese fries, onion rings and Dixie-style cole slaw, and you can wash it all down with bottled water or a can of soda.

“This is the way I feel different items should taste,” Tommie said. “This is the first menu that I have ever created, and it’s been a hit since day one. Every item that we sell is our number one seller. Different restaurants sell Italian beef, different restaurants sell Philly cheese steaks, but I turn them into what I believe customers will like.”

DEEBO’S cont’d to page 34

CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

Fans of the “Friday” franchise will recognize the name of the Wallaces’ business: It’s a reference to the Deebo character in the 1990s comedy films, in which a neighborhood bully named Deebo, played by the late actor Tommy Lister Jr. (bottom right), rides a bike like the one Wallace bought and put in front of Deebo’s. Wallace’s resemblance to Lister’s character hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s not only his business’ name and part of its logo, it’s Wallace’s nickname, which is what most people call him these days.

The regular menu doesn’t change often, but several daily specials are available, posted on a chalkboard by the bright red trailer. Tommie tries to roll out a different specials each week. In the past he’s served chicken fajitas, chicken quesadillas, chicken bacon ranch wraps, smoked brats, half- or full racks of ribs, rib tips, and hot barbecue fries. Plus, if anyone comes up wanting him to try to make something different, he’ll give it a shot, he said.

The six street tacos deal is the most popular special, but the others aren’t far behind. The street tacos come with steak chunks, diced onions, cilantro shavings and lime flavoring, with a side of salsa.

While tacos are a big seller, the Wallaces want people to savor all their flavors.

“We have a variety of different foods,” Carla said. “It’s not just a taco truck. Some people will come up and ask if we’re a taco truck. We’re kind of an ‘everything truck.’ We’ll make some things that you may not find in this town, and have a variety of them” — and they aim to please, too.

Carla Wallace prepares an order at Deebo's.

Tommie likes his Italian beef soaked in au jus sauce, but if you don’t like it that way, he’ll make it dry upon request. “Whether you want it dipped or not dipped, we try to make everybody happy,” he said — though he’ll still tell you having it dipped is the best way to go, something he successfully convinced his wife of. At first, Carla wasn’t keen on trying one with the juice in it, but Tommie convinced her to try it like that one day, and it only took a couple of bites for her to get hooked. “I thought it was going to be all soggy and messy, but when I tried it, it’s really good,” she said.

“We have a variety of different foods,” she said.

“It’s not just a taco truck. ... We’re kind of an ‘everything truck.’.”

They’ve also had “Kids Eat Free” days with a kid-friendly menu for those 12 and younger; one kids meal is free with the purchase of an adult meal. Discounts for first responders and military personnel also are offered.

When the Wallaces set out to give their business an identity after buying their trailer in November, they didn’t have to look far: right in the mirror.

DEEBO’S cont’d to page 35

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

“Friday” is one of Tommie’s favorite movies, and his resemblance to the Deebo character was all he needed. The business became Deebo’s, and he even bought a maroon Murray Westport cruiser bicycle, similar to the one Deebo rode in the movie, to display next to the trailer. He also bought a flannel jacket like the Deebo character wore and had a picture taken of him in the character’s familiar fists-together pose. Carla’s daughter, Alyssa Hernandez, designed a logo for the truck based on the photograph, and added one of Deebo’s catchphrases, “Who else wants some?”

The slogan also has become well-known in the community, and the Wallaces hear it, even when they’re not working.

“A couple of times when I’ve walked in the grocery store,

someone will come up to me and go, ‘Who else wants some?’” Carla said.

As for Tommie, most people just call him by his nickname — “My name is no longer Tommie, it’s Deebo,” he said.

The YMCA’s parking lot is the truck’s usual location, but they also set up at the Dixon City Market most Wednesdays in the summer, as well as Timber Creek Golf Course and Porky’s bar and grill. The truck also is available for private events, and they can cater parties and other gatherings, too.

Wherever the Wallaces’ menu goes, they’re sure to come back to Dixon. Tommie and Carla are both from here, and like to keep close to home and be part of the community.

“We’ve been offered to come to a lot of spots out of town, such as Whiteside County and Carroll County, but we want to bring something to Dixon,” Carla said. “We’re from Dixon, and we want to offer Dixon something.”

some? want

The Wallaces say they’re proud to do their part to add their own flavors to the Dixon community.

“Everybody has been amazing,” Tommie said. “The community has really been great to us. They want us here, and that’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to be here.”

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com

Deebo's food truck sets up Monday through Friday afternoons and evenings across Boyd Street from the Dixon Family YMCA, 110 N. Galena Ave. Find it on Facebook for upto-date operating times and for setups at other locations. Call 779-861-4945 to place advance orders, or 779-861-4159 for catering information or to have the truck set up at a special event.